Atomic Systems

hi,
On this I am clueless What is the most game efficient way to create a ladder for my signal posts?
Pointers to where I may find some guide lines would be appreciated. I am using 3DC

Ross
NZ

Hi Ross

It depends how simple or complex you want your ladder...

The simplest (crudest!!) way is to simply produce three double-sided rectangles placed (in plan view) in a shallow "H" and to have a transparent texture with the rungs painted on as stripes.

A high poly way would be to create a rung from a a stretched and resized cube. Zap the end faces as the won't be seen. Make the uprights from a cube as well, zapping the bottom, which will probably be at ground level.

If the rungs are shallow and the ladder angled, you may be able to get rid of one edge and make the rung section a triangle.

Use copy and paste to create all the rungs, and use the X, Y and Z position edit properties to make positioning each rung easy and accurate.

Hi,
Simple when one has a few very fundamental guidelines to build upon
took the high Poly option , havent go those apha textures under control yet.
Thanks

Ross
NZ

You should look at the stepmaker plugin for 3DC.

I use a .tga file with transparency mask, in the case of signal post ladders it is merely an H, which is then tiled in 3DC on to two flat sides of an elongated cube (box). This method is a hangover from my MSTS modelling in TSM, I still use TSM to construct new models and then convert to 3DC for export to RW after texturing is complete.

John

Go High poly

Second part of this tutorial may be useful for ideas...

http://msts.steam4me.net/tutorials/3dc_pipeb_uses.html

See my GWR water tanks for RS - also this allows shadow objects to work (if all the parts are solidified)